There’s something so right about snow in the winter. Chestnuts roasting, Jack Frost nipping, sleigh bells ringing… Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

But when it is mid-April and barely a daffodil has bloomed in my yard, there’s not a speck of green or a bud on the tree, and you look outside expecting to hear birds singing and instead you see snow blowing… it is just plain WRONG.

I adore Colorado ¾ of the year, but I’ve got to find a way to get outta here in Spring when my native Texas eyes long to behold green, my skin aches for the warmth of the sun, and the cook in me is ready to fire up the grill on the patio, and mix a refreshing cocktail as Greg and I visit on the porch swing.

Yesterday, while we were experiencing this out the patio door…

….I decided it was time to take the weather into our own hands. We’d simply have to make our own sunshine. Out came a bag of fragrant lemons and my handy juicer. Then, vodka and bottle of Italian lemoncello- a gift from my thoughtful friend Lucille, upon her return from Europe. Finally, just to show off, I pulled a fresh basket of raspberries out of the fridge and plopped them on the counter too.

Now then, wasn’t it pretty? Things were looking brighter already.

I do not like to boast, but may I just say, I make the best Lemon Drop Cocktails around? Not too sweet, not too tart. Plenty of real lemon flavor. And when you float a few brilliant red raspberries in this refreshing drink, and add a lovely twist of lemon peel, really, who cares if it’s April and there’s still stubborn case of Winter lingering outside your window?

Inside, we stayed happy and cuddled by the hearth, toasting the (eventual) coming of Spring.

Cheers!

In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer ~ Albert Camus

Ultimate Lemon Drop Martini with Fresh Raspberries

1 part fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 part lemoncello liqueure (It is found in most liquor stores on the liqueur aisle. It is made from vodka, sugar and the zest of lemon)

1 part vodka

twist of lemon peel slice, and 3 fresh raspberries per glass

Ice for shaker

Sugar for rim, if desired

Pour first 3 ingredients over ice into a martini shaker. (For a generous martini, I use about a 1/4 cup of each “part” per person. For less Spring-deprived people, living in balmy southern climates, this will probably make enough for two people. But if you are still living in places where you are shoveling your driveway in mid-April, go for the generous pour.) Shake, shake, shake your winter blues out. Rub a bit of fresh lemon juice around the rim of a martini glass, then dip in a shallow plate of sugar to line the rim. Drop in 3 fresh raspberries and a twist of lemon peel.

* If you prefer a sweeter cocktail, add a little agave nectar or simple syrup.